Overdue Library Book Returned 82 Years After Due Date

An overdue library book titled Your Child, His Family, and Friends by Frances Bruce Strain was returned to the San Antonio Public Library nearly 82 years after its due date. Originally checked out in July 1943, the book was returned in June 2025 from Oregon, accompanied by a letter from the person who found it among their late father's belongings. The letter, shared by the library on social media, humorously noted, "I hope there is no late fee for it because Grandma won’t be able to pay for it anymore."

The book, a guide for parents on helping children navigate personal relationships, was checked out when the letter writer's father was 11 years old. The writer's grandmother, Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores (Cortez), is believed to have borrowed it before relocating to Mexico City for work at the U.S. Embassy.

According to the San Antonio Public Library, they eliminated overdue fines in 2021 to remove financial barriers to accessing library services. The book, returned in good condition, is on display at the Central Library throughout August before being donated for sale to benefit the library.

The library's decision to abolish late fees means that no penalty was incurred, despite the book being overdue for decades. A three-cent daily fine, as was standard in 1943, would have amounted to nearly $900 without accounting for inflation. With inflation, the penalty would exceed $16,000.